#11 The end?

Hello everyone :)

Today is my last entry from Didàctica de l'Anglès. I would like to give my opinion about the experience to do this blog. I'm a little sad.

Firstly, I would like to say I enjoyed doing it. Why? Because it allowed me to express my opinion on what had worked in class. Many times our opinion is not important. But, the fact to share my opinion and watching the classmates's opinions on the differents topics that we have learned in class, this was good and a better way to understand the concepts from the subject. Some blogs are really good. 

So, I would like to say thank to Theresa and Neus for sharing their experience with us and giving us some great advice and a wild desire to keep working and learning. Thank you for trusting us and giving us your vision so pretty on the office of teacher.

I would like to say thank all the people who someday read some entry and enjoyed. Thanks a lot.







Thanks a lot to my classmates and specially, my collegues in this adventure: Adriana Sàenz and Laia Mur. Was a pleasure to do all the projects with us: I have learned a lot with you.








And now, is coming....Pràctiques 3. My last practices like a student. I think is a fantastic experience to realize if you want to be a techaer. So, here I go.

See you soon:)


Clara ***

#10 My PLE is..... my new tool

Hi everyone,

We are in Christmas time. Blessed holidays. 

I would like to talk in my last entry about my PLE. Symbaloo is a good tool for all the people in order to organize your important and useful websites for your day by day.

Nowadays, I know that my PLE is poor and it's a mess but I think it is because I don't have all the resources that I would want and I did not understand it operation for me. While I was watching the oral presentation of my classmates, I thought 

How do they know this tool? I want this webpage for my Symbaloo. It's so interesting and useful for my future.

I did not think that I can organize my websites in colors or in corners. I think is a good idea Because is very visual and catch the attention of the public.

Now, When I finish this subject I want to make a change in my PLE and I am going to do it again Because

Because now I understand their operation and now I know more websites to improve my English and teach English in a simple, clear and meaningful.

Thanks and a happy new year

Clara ***

#9 What is CLIL?

Hello:)!


'CLIL refers to situations where students are taught through a foreign language with dual focussed aims in: the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language'.
(Marsh, 1994)

As professor Do Coyle says in his article Developing CLIL: Towards a theory of practice, Clil is ​​using a foreign language as a tool of learning a non-language subject in which students learn both content and language.

Teachers should inform and do training courses to implement this tool as useful in learning both children and teachers. But in order to be useful, it requires a good preparation and a solid foundation already is not teaching history in English but rather the goal is to work content and knowledge with the use of the language and let children learn by themselves through experimentation. Language is just the way to communicate.


By using of CLIL in many schools, children have increased language skills and expanded vocabulary. CLIL has increased participation in the classroom and ,at the same time, has helped children to communicate in a language which is not theirs of a very natural way. To getting a good CLIL, this has to meet three essential requirements:

- You have to be flexible to adapt to student learning and, at the same time motivating to engage the student's attention.

-It has to work through the 4Cs Framework (content, communication, cognition and culture)

- Learn using language and using language to learn.

If we implement a language as an obligation, most children do not learn. But, if we use in a particular context and attractive for students, benefits may be satisfactory. Although, we cannot forget that order for an activity be useful and get good results has to have a teaching staff that works to get it and do it in a cooperative and collaborative.

Clara ***

#8 The syllabus: our notebook.

I would like to explain you what means The syllabus. I studied it last year and it was very interesting and useful for my future as a teacher.

Syllabus is a document where the teacher writes what he/she wants to teach during the course and the objectives that he / she wants to fulfil. Common characteristics of a syllabus is that the cover page has explicit objectives of the course, an ordered list of components what the teacher wants to do with their respective contents and methods to carry out. Another characteristic of the syllabus is that it is a public document and it can be used in others context and not only in the school.

I believe that all teachers should do their own syllabus and thus, they can decide what they want to teach, how teaching and why they teach it. It is a good idea to order the contents from the easiest to the most difficult so that the children in that way can improve their learning step by step and it then becomes more overcome. In my opinion this kind of document is great and useful for the new teachers because it includes some material that’s is good to do in the classroom, different methods and activities to do and you can use it to make up an idea of how you have to prepare yourself, how to put everything together, simply how to carry it out. 

There are distinct types of language within syllabus such as, grammatical lexical, grammatical-lexical, situational, notional, functional-notional, mixed or multi-strand procedural and process.

For example, in the syllabus situational, pupils study the language using real-life contexts such as in the street, eating a meal. These are examples of complete sentences that are used in class day to day and its structure does not change.

This type of programming has advantages and disadvantages. Most teachers can get tired of the syllabus and follow the task from the course book because making a syllabus takes away part of their free time and maybe, a syllabus does not work as a motivation of learning for every specific kind of group and class of pupils. I agree with this statement because most teachers follow the course book and do not think about what would be better for children to learn and what the pupils can use outside of school, so therefore I believe that teachers as much as possible should use the syllabus way in their teaching. 

Clara ***

#7 The world looks different from up here

"I've gone to my table to remember to look at things differently. The world looks different from up here "

Dead Poets Society.

As stated by Professor Keating in the film "Dead Poets Society", things are different if you look from another perspective. Sometimes, as teachers, we insist on follow everything is disclosed in the curriculum and we do not stop to think about the needs of our students and what they really want to learn.

As N.Maldonado says in his article "Rethinking classroom management", we have to stop and think what we teach and what we want our students to learn. For this, it is necessary for the teacher manages the classroom taking into account the three main areas that live  in the classroom and have to be linked to get meaningful learning: classroom organization, curriculum objectives and social values​​.

To get these three areas are related and complement each other, it is necessary that the student participates in classroom management. Their opinions and feelings are very important for the teacher to know where you need to improve management and that changes must carries out for the student to feel comfortable in your classroom.

As for classroom organization, N.Maldonado raises the idea that the class rules are developed by the student group because it is they who have to live every day with their peers. In this way, you create an atmosphere of respect and empathy among students who will get to know more and bind as a group. The teacher must also agree to these rules but should only supervise, at any time change, students are those who have spoken and it is they who have decided

Another example to resolve the issues of curriculum is, again, to give voice to the students. Students are eager to learn things. Why not ask them what they want to know and then try to relate it to a curricular topic? One idea that came to mind while reading this paragraph was asking a question each time you start a new topic:

What I want to know about the human body?

Once the teacher receives all student responses, can start organizing your classes as long as answer each of the questions from the students.

And finally, to social issues, one of the most difficult areas to work in the classroom and in real life, the teacher has to highlight the positive aspects of students rather than wasting time on the mistakes. What I mean is, if you tell a student who never learn to multiply, the student will believe it and never try. But, if you encourage try it, looking for other strategies to teach or get himself understood using a different methodology, the effort and the ability to overcome has to be assessed. If we value our students and believe in them, we will create a comfortable, friendly and warm classroom. Teachers are the mirrors where children watch, so it is in our hands to create a good atmosphere of companionship.

Clara ***

#6 The parents have the key

Hi :)!

Education is not just school work. Education is everywhere and at all times, on the street, on bus, in cinemas and at home.

There is a difference between educating and teaching. Educate means "Developing intellectual and moral faculties of a person" And also, "Teaching the good uses of civility and courtesy." Instead, teaching means: "Make someone to learn something."

From these definitions, we realize that the role of the teacher is to teach. Teach new knowledge, new words, to read and write. But at the same time, we also educate. We teach them to be respectful, tolerant, friendly and hardworking. Also, we encourage them to be themself and that they believe in themself. But it is not enough if they do not hear the same things at home.

Normally, and I speak from experience, my mother always wanted a school that had the same social values ​​ she followed to educate us in this big society. Each school has different and specific values ​​and ,it is for this reason that it is so hard to find the best school for your child, and even, to work as a professional. It is a very important decision and a pact that parents do with school. The pact should have an agreement where both parties are responsible for working together towards the same direction since both want the best for the child. Working together does not mean requesting the notes.

The parent's job is to worry about continuous learning process of their child, to assist them at all times and basically show interest in improving their child's learning. 

How do we involve parents? 

Parents have the key to the future success for their children

Using parent meetings with the teachers, communicating news and problems which occurred during the week, showing them what their children learns through crafts or letters written by the students and, the most important point, recognize the work done from home. There is nothing more recomfortable that your work is valued. The school must value both parents and students, without kids there is no school but without the involvement of parents we cannot achieve the goals of the school.

Clara ***

#5 Meeting individual needs

Hi everyone!

The idea of differentiating instruction is an approach to teaching that creates an active planning which can help us to see student differences in classrooms.

As the authors Peter Westwood and Wendy Arnold say in their article about Meeting individuals needs, students are different from each other.  Not everyone has the same abilities to learn and the same interests. Therefore, teachers need to know how to balance the differencies in the classroom without losing the goal: that students learn and make progress.

To achieve this goal, we have to be constantly changing. You have to think new learning activities where students learn while having fun, doing group works,  let students discover things through out their own researches and what is really important is to involve them in the class by making them the protagonists.

It is also necessary that the teacher always looks at the students learning process and where there is a problem and how it can be resolved in order to continue going forward with that students learning process. Do not leave anything on the road.

There is no book that bring together the different methodologies to improve your everyday classroom but thanks to technology, we have access to the experiences, views and thoughts of all those who are striving to get a school where every child learns in relation with his or her rhythm and skills. In the end, they learn by their own way.

Clara ***